Switch



guv gibvwu Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,001

E. K. BARNES SWITCH Filed April 18, L922 INVENTOR,

[vvrillp 'K Barnes; 1 BY.

7 V ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES EVERITTE K. BARNES, OF GASA VERDUGO, CALIFORNIA.

PATENT OFFICE.

SWITCH.

Application filed April 18, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVERITTE K. BARNES, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Casa Verdugo, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switches, and has for an object the provision of a switch which when incorporated in motor vehicles will permit a setting of direction signals to warn pedestrians of a turning movement of a vehicle without the necessity of the operator of said vehicle removing his hands from the steering wheel or operating any switch mem bers by the hands.

lVhere signals are used on vehicles for indicating a turning or stopping of a vehicle, most of said signals are operated by means of a switch either on the steering post or steering wheel, and it is necessary to remove the hand from the steering wheel in order to so operate said signals. oftentimes a person forgets to operate the signal and unless the arm is used for indicating movement of the vehicle, collisions often result. One of the prime essentials of this invention relates to automatically setting the signal members carried by the vehicle by a simple movement of the foot of the operator. In practicing the invention, three switches may be utilized in connection with either the brake pedal or the clutch pedal, and an inward movement, for instance, to throw out the clutch would operate one signal, such as Slow or Stop, while a slight movement of the foot to the left or right while engaging the pedal would operate switches to indicate a turning movement of the vehicle to the right or left. It will be appre ciated that the foot may at all times rest upon the clutch or. brake pedal, that it is unnecessary to remove the foot therefrom, and that the switches may be operated by a slight raising or turning of the foot to actuate certain of the switch members. This operation would become almost automatic and is far superior to use of hand-operated switches.

The invention has for further objects the provision of an improved signaling switch, which will be superior in point of relative simplicity and inexpensiveness, taken in conjunction with utility, durability and general efliciency and serviceability.

With the above and other objects in View,

Serial No. 554,782.

the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, combination, association and interrelation of parts, IIiOl'l'lbQlS and features, as illustrated in some of its embodiments in the accompanying drawing, described in the following statement, and finally pointed out in claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the clutch member with the switch members carried thereon;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing one of the switch members adapted to be associated with the brake or clutch pedal; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a member for attachment with a pedal of the vehicle, said member carrying certain of the switches.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the signaling which is designated as an entirety and in one embodiment as A, and of which I) are switch members. The switch members Z) are adapted to be actuated by the foot of the driver of a vehicle and the switch members may be an integral part of the pedal or they may be in the form of an attachment to be joined to the pedal. In Fig ure 1 the clutch pedal 7 has been selected and a pivoted arm 8 has a cord 9 connected to an end thereof, with the opposite end of the cord connected to the arm of the clutch pedal. The opposite end of the arm 8 has a spring 10 connected thereto, which nornally keeps the arm 8 from contacting with a contact point 11. lVhen the clutch pedal is pushed inwardly the cord 9 pulls the arm 8 and causes one end thereof to contact with the point 11, which may operate a stop signal. Either attached to or integrally formed with the foot tread of the pedal are two more switch members. Assuming that an attachment is used, a form such as shown in Figure 3 may be provided, and which con sists essentially of a plate (Z having a central portion 12 provided at its ends with two upstanding walls 13 and 14 with outwardly extending portions 15 and 16 joined with said walls and extremities of said outwardly extending portions having flanged parts 17 acting as foot guards. The central portion 12 is provided with a slot or groove 18, and likewise provided with transverse peri'orations 19. The gap between the walls 13 and 1. is equal in. width to the width of the foot tread 20 of the pedal 7. The toot tread is provided with threaded perforations 21. which align with the peri'orations 19 in the central portion 12, and the pedal arm is adapted to be received within the groove 18 ot the member (Z with the loot tread received upon the central portion and confined between the walls 13 and ll, whereupon screws are passed through the per torations 19 and engage the threaded walls surrounding the openings 'ihe portions 15 and 16 each carry a switch 6, such as that illustrated in Figure 2. In particular a switch consists of a cylil'idrical casing 22 connected to the under sur'tace oi. the members 15 and 16 with a cylindrical push button 23 extending within the cylindrical casing- Q52 and projecting through. an opening; 2 in the parts 15 or 16. A flanged collar 25 surrounds the push button 25, and beneath such flanged collar and bearing against the same and sur rounding the cylindrical buttmi 22), is a coil spring 26. ilne end o't' said. coil spring normally rests in an anl'nilar concavity 27 in the bottom of the cylindrical casing 22, and whereby the button 28 is normally urged outwardly through the opening 2 The member 22 is provided with a reduced annular flanged portion in the base thereof, as shown at 28, and the interior of said flanged portion is screw-threaded for reception of a threaded insulating plug 20. An arm 30 projects through the opening in said plug, and carries at an end thereof a contact point or head 31. and a coil spring normally surrounds the arm 30 and bears against the under surface of the contact point 31, and likewise against the plug 29. Normally there is a gap between the contact point 81 and the cylindrical button 23. Pressure e: erted downwardly upon the button will cause an end thereof to contact with the member 31.

A device of this character is simple, but is positive in its results, as operation of the switches becomes almost automatic after a time. The foot does not oi. necessity have to leave the clutch pedal or the brake pedal, and the arms and hands of: the operator are left tree for purposes other than the actua ti on of some switch for indicating a turning movement of the veh cle. bviously many forms of switches may be used. the precise construction of the switch and its method. of attachment to the pedal mightbe varied in many respects or as pointed out, the device might be an integral part of the pedal and not a mere attaclnnent. in place of a push button form of switch. a pivoted arm might be utilized. on each side ot the pedal tread, and all that would be required of the operator would be to shift the foot so as to engage the arm and move the same, but a modification of this kind is simply amatter ot preference. My invention consists essen tially in providing a switch which incorporates three switches, one operating responsive to movement o1 the pedal, while the other two operate responsive to pressure or contact with the foot of the operator, all of se id. switches being associated with the brake lover or the clutch lever of the vehicle.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications and. variations may he made in practicing the invention, in departure from the particular description, all of said moditi etions being made, however, within a fair interpretation of the invention as denu d by the scope of the appended claims.

. vine thus disclosed my invention, I

and. desire to secure by Letters Patent: In a. device of the character disclosed, a plate formed with a depressed portion, said depressed portion being provided with a slot, and sides oi? such plate bounding the depressed portion being provided with electri. -al switch members.

2. The combination with a vehicle pedal member having the usual lever arm and foot pedal, of a member for joinder with such loot pedal, said member comprising a plate :l'ormed with a depressed portion adapted to be secured to such pedal, and with extensions bounding such depressed portion, which extensions are adapted to lie in the same plane as the surface of such tootpedal.

The combination with a vehicle pedal member having the usual lever arm and foot pedal, of a member for joinder with such foot pedal. said member comprising a plate formed with a depressed portion adapted to be secured to such pedal, and with extensions bounding such depressed portion, which extensions are adapted to lie in the same plane as the surface of such foot pedal; said extensions being; provided with electrical switch members.

l. The combination with a vehicle pedal member having the usual lever arm and foot pedal, ot a member tor joinder with such :t'oot pedal, said member comprising a plate formed with a depressed portion adapted to be secured to such pedal, and with extensions bomwlinc;- such. depressed portion, which extensions are adapted to lie in the same plane as the surface of such foot pedal; said. extensions being provided with electrical switch members and being formed with flanges.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EVERITTE K. BARNES. 

